H.R. 9724: End Birthright Citizenship for Territories Act

This bill would change the rules for U.S. citizenship at birth in several U.S. territories. In plain terms, it would make it so that people born in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands would not automatically receive U.S. citizenship at birth if they are born on or after January 1, 2027, unless they fall within certain exceptions.

What the bill does

• It adds the bill’s short title: End Birthright Citizenship for Territories Act.
• It changes existing federal citizenship laws covering births in:
  • Puerto Rico
  • the U.S. Virgin Islands
  • Guam
  • the Northern Mariana Islands
• For these territories, the bill inserts a January 1, 2027 cutoff date into the current statutes, so the citizenship-at-birth rules would no longer apply to births after that date in the way they do now.

What stays the same

• The bill says it would not affect the citizenship or nationality status of anyone born in the United States before January 1, 2027.
• It also says it would not affect the citizenship or nationality status of a person born in a U.S. territory if that person is:
  • the child of a U.S. citizen, or
  • the child of a lawful permanent resident.

Other notes

• The bill’s background section says Congress has authority over the territories and over citizenship rules set by statute.
• The bill applies only to the territories named above; it does not amend the citizenship rules for births in the 50 states or the District of Columbia.

Relevant Companies

None found